Suzuki SX4 dominates Pikes Peak

By George Skentzos | July 24th, 2009

Suzuki rally legend Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima has upheld his reputation as King of the Mountain after dominating the field at the world famous Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in Colorado.

Tajima won the event convincingly for the fourth successive year, finishing more than a minute ahead of his closest rivals which included two-time WRC winner Marcus Gronholm.

He completed the 19.8 kilometre-long course in 10 minutes and 15.3 seconds, beginning at an altitude of 2860 metres and negotiating 156 turns before finishing at the 4300 metre summit of Pikes Peak.

“Ongoing construction works at the top section meant I couldn’t better my record time of 2007, but with the new SX4 I know I have the car to beat the magical 10 minute mark,” said Monster.

The 2009 Suzuki SX4-based rally car used for the event boasts a turbocharged 2.7-litre V6, producing a phenomenal 650kW of power and 880Nm of torque.

However the dramatic rise in altitude along the Pikes Peak course robs engines of 30 per cent of their power by the time the driver has reached the summit, with competitors needing to employ special oxygen breathing apparatus to combat the changes in air pressure.

Captain Mainwaring

This is a superb effort by Monster Tajima and Suzuki, but to label this weapon as SX4-based because both this and an SX-4 have four wheels is to say that a Cessna 150 is a F16 because both of them have two wings.
OK, maybe the Pikes Peak car has the same front subframe as an SX-4, but you get the point.
Robin Graves

See also that Rhys Millen broke the Time Attack RWD record in a Hyundai Genesis Coupe? That guy really needs to move back to New Zealand – his half seppo half cuzzybro accent is shocking.
Glen

Didnt this happen last week? Hardly breaking news guys
http://www.cardealer-finder.co.uk Car Dealer Finder

Does anyone know if it’s possible to get a drive in one of these things? Even an older model. It’s always been my dream.
http://Caradvice.com.au Baddass

I love the pikes peak cars, especially the Suzukis.
http://carz.com/ Carz

SX4 looks and sounds like a very good car. I haven’t seen one yet but I’m sure I will be amazed with this car…
Flying High

SX4 is to this car like Fiat Punto is to Ferrari. Calling it an SX4 is pure Suzuki marketing hype.

That rear wing is something else though….
DesignEng©™

Alloy steel spaceframe clad in carbon fibre and kevlar.
Notice the central seating position?
BTW this guy is 59 yo and a hillclimb master the world over.

Suzuki Sport build his cars.
Ravith

This is straightforward marketing gimmick – to the point that regulation body should intervene.

The real SX 4 is a CRAP. It is a deathtrap. It has high centre of gravity, no rollover protection, not even ESP that even all Korean cars have now a days.

Your body will start to ache in 1 hr if you sit in real SX 4.

Performance? Hillclimb ?? Heheheh. Will barely roll level road.
crouchy

Yes, calling this car an SX4 is rubbish and ‘pure marketing hype’ but without manufacturers input we wouldn’t be lucky enough to see these events.

Plus, im sure someone out there is looking at this going “WOW! my sx4 can do thaaaaaat?” lol
Tim

Its no worse than Toyota calling their NASCAR a Camry, despite it having absolutely nothing in common with an actual Camry. Motorsport pays its bills through marketing, Suzuki calling this a SX4 is fine, IMO.
rocket_v6

Tim, all nascars have nothing in common with their roadgoing cars its just marketing gimmick,every manufacturer does this… just accept it and move on.
Tomas79

Tim funny you bring up Toyota & Nascar, and not V8 supercars which are much closer to home!!
Tim

Tomas, at least V8 supercars have the fact that they are V8, and RWD in common with their respective nameplates. Which is why I didn’t use them as an example.

Rocket_v6, thats entirely my point. Thank you for completely missing that fact. Motorsport needs to pay its bills, thats done through advertising. In this case Suzuki are advertising the SX4. Hence why I don’t have a problem with it.
SteveH

Tim, don’t forget that the V8 supercars are powered by V8 engines you can no longer buy in a road car.
LancerFan

They need to pay the bills but not at the cost of misinformation that may lead ppl to believe that SX4 is the same as this one.

Every car company does that — alas, all of them are crooks.
Tim

*sigh* yes steve I know. All I said was that they were V8, I didn’t say it was the same V8. My point is 1) Yes, the pikes peak SX4 has very little in common with the publically available SX4, but you can’t have a go at Suzuki for that, because 2) motorsport needs to pay the bills, which is done through advertising, in this case, its advertising the Suzuki SX4. I used the NASCAR example because it was the most extreme example of this, not because I was Toyota-bashing like certain members seem to think. V8 Supercars isn’t the most extreme example, which is why I didn’t use it.

If I realised how intentionally dull some people might be, I wouldn’t have made my first post.
Toxic_Horse

Ravith
“The real SX 4 is a CRAP. It is a deathtrap. It has high centre of gravity, no rollover protection, not even ESP that even all Korean cars have now a days”

It does hovever have AWD , I own one and you would be hard pressed to role it if you tried, the thing sticks to the road like glue, even in the wet, And if you did it has a double A pillar which is more rollover protection than most cars. I would hardly call it a death trap